1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera apparatus suitably built in an outer mirror device for a vehicle, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a technique is know of attaching a camera body into a mirror housing of an outer mirror device for a vehicle, and displaying an image picked up by the camera body on a monitor display disposed in an instrument panel, etc, thereby covering a dead area that cannot be visually recognized by a mirror (for example, refer to JP-A-2004-182040). Background Information.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a conventional camera apparatus disclosed in the above-referenced JP-A-2004-182040. This camera apparatus includes a mounting base 100 installed inside the mirror housing (not shown), a hollow housing 102 that is attached to the mounting base 100 by using a plurality of screws 101, and a lens holding member 103 fixedly fitted into the housing 102. A cylindrical supporting projection 100a is erected from the mounting base 100, and an opening 100b is bored in an internal bottom surface of a space surrounded by the supporting projection 100a. A flange 102a is formed so as to project from an external wall surface of the housing 102, and each of the screws 101 is inserted through the flange 102a and screwed to the supporting projection 100a. A lens 104 is held inside the lens holding member 103. The housings 102 and the lens holding member 103 constitute a camera body 105. The lens holding member 103 is formed with a stepped part 103a that abuts on an outer edge of the opening 100b. A distal small-diameter portion that continues via the stepped part 103a becomes a positioning tube 103b. Also, the camera body 105 (the housing 102 and the lens holding member 103) is positioned in the radial direction with respect to the mounting base 100 by fitting the positioning tube 103b into the opening 100b. 
In this conventional camera apparatus, when each of the screws 101 is fastened with the positioning tube 103b fitted into the opening 100b, the stepped part 103a is brought into close contact with an outer edge of an upper surface of the opening 100b by a fastening force. Thus, the camera body 105 can be attached to the mounting base 100 with high positional accuracy without chattering. However, the fastening force of the screws 101 acts on an abutting part between the outer edge of the upper surface of the opening 100b, and the stepped part 103a. Therefore, when an attempt is made to firmly attach the camera body 105, a problem exist in that distortion occurs in the lens holding member 103 or the lens 104 by the fastening force of the screws 101.